Historical performance CategoryActive Growth PortfolioBenchmark 3 years 5.42% 5.49% 5 years 9.35% 9.01% 10 years 8.37% 7.96% Since inception 9.44% 8.79%2 more rows
Ideally, you should save at least $250 per month if you anticipate your child attending an in-state college (four years, public), $450 per month for an out-of-state public four-year college, and $550 per month for a private non-profit four-year college, from birth to college enrollment.
By superfunding your 529 plan with a lump-sum contribution of $50,000, in 18 years when your child is ready to enter college, your account balance will have increased to $120,331. By dividing $50,000 into monthly contributions of $231 instead, your account balance will have only increased to $81,509.
We recommend that Arizona residents use the Fidelity Arizona College Savings Plan 529 plan due to the tax benefits, low fees, and plan investment options. We recommend that out-of-state residents utilize other plans, since the tax deductions still applies.
Thanks to a recent legislative update and the new “529 grandparent loophole,” grandparents who own a 529 account can make significant contributions to their grandchild's education savings without necessarily affecting the grandchild's eligibility for federal student aid.
Opening a 529 can be completed in (as little as) these four steps: Select a plan. You'll have to choose between a savings plan or a prepaid plan. Choose a beneficiary. This will likely be your child — but remember, you can change the beneficiary at any time without penalty. Open the account. Build your portfolio.
If an investor opened a tax-deferred 529 account with an initial investment of $2,500 and contributed $100 every month for 18 years, the account could be worth over $6,300 more than with similar contributions into a taxable account.
Closing the Savings Gap For instance, if you opened a 529 account for a newborn this year and contributed $250 a month, Vanguard's college savings calculator estimates you'd have more than $113,000 when your child heads off to college in 18 years. That's more than double your $54,000 investment.
The State of Arizona also offers a tax deduction for investing in an AZ529 Plan of up to $4,000 for married couples filing jointly and up to $2,000 for individuals. You can choose from a variety of investment options, from FDIC-insured CDs to mutual funds. You can open an AZ529 Plan with just $25 or less!